December 2014

News, Events and the Impact of Giving

A periodic update on the Campaign for UC Santa Cruz for the campus community

Gift creates endowed chair in computer scienceImpressed by UC Santa Cruz’s research in computer science, Mountain View-based Symantec gave $500,000 to endow a faculty chair—the first chair in the University of California system to take advantage of a new matching fund program established by UC President Janet Napolitano. This is also UC Santa Cruz' first corporate-funded chair. The inaugural holder of the new Symantec Presidential Chair in Storage and Security is Professor Ethan Miller, director of the Center for Research in Storage Systems. The funds will further his work in many ways, from recruiting graduate students to preliminary research projects that could lead to major grants. The gift supports the Data Science Leadership initiative of the Campaign for UC Santa Cruz. Learn more.

Philanthropy raising a barn and supporting environmental programsTimber framing for the historic Hay Barn reconstruction on south campus is planned for mid-February. The project is made possible by a $5 million gift from the Helen and Will Webster Foundation to create a center for environmental programs adjacent to the UCSC Farm. The same techniques will be used as when the barn was first built in the 1800s. About 20 volunteers, most members of the Timber Framers Guild, will raise the bents—a unit that contains posts and beams. The project supports the Coastal Sustainability initiative of the Campaign for UC Santa Cruz. See the barn coming down.

Packard gift is expanding field course experiencesAlumna Julie Packard’s gift of $1 million to support diversity in the sciences has been put to immediate use. Among the ways: This quarter, it enabled a dive officer to accompany undergrads on a field course off the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea so those who didn’t have previous experience swimming and snorkeling could safely participate in marine research on the French island. The gift is also allowing the campus to expand freshman field experiences in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology designed to get students hooked on the sciences. Packard’s gift supports the Transformative Student Experience initiative of the Campaign for UC Santa Cruz.

Crowd funds Banana Slug genome sequencingAt last, the beloved mascot of UC Santa Cruz will be understood! More than 130 donors came together to invest more than $21,000 in the Banana Slug Genome Project. It is a fun but not a frivolous project. The results will provide insight on species diversity—and be the subject of hands-on student genomics research. Alumni Ken and Branwyn Wagman got the ball rolling on the project with a challenge gift. They were joined by fellow Slug Leslie Grate and his wife Lou, who also did a match challenge. The project supports the Genomics Institute initiative of the Campaign for UC Santa Cruz. Learn more.

Retired staffer doubles up by giving now -- and laterDavid Kirk, retired media specialist at McHenry Library, supports the library and campus he spent 29 years helping build with his philanthropy. He is doing that by making the library a beneficiary in his estate plans. And he contributes generously to the UCSC Fund, which provides the chancellor flexible resources now to invest where needed—including extending hours at McHenry Library. Learn more about Planned Giving and Chancellor's Associates and their role in the campaign.

CAMPAIGN FYI: An endowed fund at work near youThis academic year, more than 467 endowed funds established and funded by donors are providing $5 million to support the students and faculty of UC Santa Cruz. When a donor establishes an endowed fund, it is invested for long-term growth. An annual distribution provides permanent funding for the designated program. The result is stronger programs made possible by a consistent funding stream. That legacy at UC Santa Cruz includes nearly 140 undergraduate scholarship funds, 30 graduate fellowship funds, and 23 faculty chairs. See our Impact of Endowments report. Learn more about how endowments work.

The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz: $186.6 Million and Counting!

Campaign Giving by Type

Gifts to the Campaign for UC Santa Cruz are received as cash, planned gifts, and gifts in kind. The chart below shows that giving to date:

As UC Santa Cruz celebrates 50 years of original thinking and questioning authority, The Campaign is building resources for its future. As we collectively enjoy the look back—and the events planned throughout the year—we are moving full-speed ahead to ensure we have the resources to continue our extraordinary education and research mission. More about the 50th.

Campaign website gets new design, expanded content

Your key resource for learning about The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz just got a major boost with improved navigation and added content. The campaign.ucsc.edu website is a resource for you to learn about the campaign and its goals, and to share with others interested in how they can be a part of the future of UC Santa Cruz. Learn more.

New home for coastal sustainability research breaks ground

VIPs from UC Santa Cruz and Wells Fargo recently broke ground on the new coastal campus laboratory and lecture facility that will become home to the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The new state-funded Coastal Biology Building will be built on the Wells Fargo Coastal Science Research Center, which is just up the road from Long Marine Lab. Ensuring faculty and students have the funds they need to conduct world-class teaching and research is among priorities of the Coastal Sustainability initiative of the Campaign for UC Santa Cruz. Naming opportunities are available in the new building and gifts will support programs to advance teaching and research efforts. Learn more.

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